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Not having much luck so far...

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Hi everyone, new to the forums! Great place...

Been trying to get into IT for a few months, i don't have any real IT experience and no certs as yet, although i am working on getting my Net+ done very soon. I have a computing degree though, but i'm not convinced it's worth much in getting an entry level job in this industry!

I've considered joining a training provider to help with study structure and motivation etc, but i just can't seem to bear parting with the cash! £3-4k is all the money in the world to me right now and that student loan balance aint going anywhere soon!

I've applied for 19 jobs so far, all online through reed and jobsite.co.uk. So far i've only had 2 callbacks and one rejection, no interviews, and the rest were silences.

Can anyone offer me some direction? Will it be possible for me to get an IT job after getting some certs with no experience?

Should i consider trying to get someone to give me some voluntary work with them?

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Been trying to get into IT for a few months, i don't have any real IT experience and no certs as yet, although i am working on getting my Net+ done very soon. I have a computing degree though, but i'm not convinced it's worth much in getting an entry level job in this industry!

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Do you have a 2 or 4 year degree? What is it in, specifically? And, yes, a degree without experience is about as good as certs without experience when it comes to finding your first job. I think the degree, depending on what it is, would probably be seen as more valuable here in the US with a lot of employers than certs would be. It all comes down to who is doing the hiring in the end though.

Experience is the key to finding that first job. It's the conundrum many of us are facing.

I'm afraid I can't offer any experience, just a couple of ideas I've been thinking about (once I get some certs). The local CETS centres always seem to need volunteers & offer adult courses in computing. May be worth volunteering for that.

Another idea, although maybe a bit silly, would be to offer your services to the local internet cafe's at weekends & busy times, take some of the strain.

ffreeloader > My degree was a sandwich degree, 3 years study and 1 year work experience - it was a degree in Electronic and Computer Engineering but my 12 months experience is in the electronics field I also have 3 years experience of postgraduate research in computing - distributed systems, networking, linux skills ( you guys think this is this worth anything in terms of employer interest???)

simon > Unfortunatley i'm over 24 so i don't qualify for an apprenticeship, which is a shame cos they sound real good!

ffreeloader > My degree was a sandwich degree, 3 years study and 1 year work experience - it was a degree in Electronic and Computer Engineering but my 12 months experience is in the electronics field I also have 3 years experience of postgraduate research in computing - distributed systems, networking, linux skills ( you guys think this is this worth anything in terms of employer interest???)

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Oh, yeah. I wish I had that on my resume. It would make a lot of difference.

Thanks for the encouragement boyce! Really appreciate it, yes i'm getting more than slightly daunted by the job finding process but as i've read about other people sending out hundreds (if not nigh-on a thousand apps!) before getting their foot in...i guess i've just begun!

Got a couple of agency calls yesterday, so it's not completley bleak!

I'm really enjoying the Net+ stuff right now, got the myers book, good book that!

I pounded the doors for 3 1/2 years before I got the job i have now, and hindsight being 20/20, I should have stayed where I was. I didn't realize just how good I had it where I was until after i was gone.

Good luck!! You'll find a job soon!! There are lots of graduate/junior entry level jobs out there. Having a degree does help in getting an interview but as there are so many graduates out there, it's a competitive market. So getting certified will make you stand out and it shows that you're proactive, you're determined to succeed and get into IT.

For me, I'm a graduate, I've applied to hundreds of jobs and had quite a few interviews and job offers...but it's not what I want to do. Grrr!!! One day, I'll get my dream job.

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